Hell Born
by BurntPickle
Summary: Grace Walker; born and kicked out of Hell for being an innocent child. But she can't possibly hide from the truth forever. What she doesn't know is that she can tear the world apart by its seams, and that a demonic nature is burned into her soul. The Angels want her sent back down, but Hell can't keep her without a reason. And yet both sides want her dead, before she ruins it all.
1. Chapter 1 - Welcome to My World

_Welcome to my newest Fanfiction; Hell Born. I hope you enjoy, and please, if you have any advice to help improve my writing skills, I'd love to have any critique. I thank you if you choose to read, and I appreciate everything._

_Disclaimer; I do not own Supernatural. Grace Walker, Tyler Elliot, Vincent and Arrow belong to me. Any new characters introduced in further chapters will also belong to me. I, currently, don't intend to use any characters except for my own, including characters from the show._

* * *

With their hands clasped in one another, Grace Walker and Tyler Elliot strolled through the park, their path illuminated by the frequent black, French-styled lampposts, which lined the sidewalk on either side, alternating. Old, giant trees shot up around them, reaching up towards the stars above with their bristled limbs. A dead leaf would often shed away from the tree and skitter across the ground, something flicking past the two or tangling itself under their feet. The moon was out, but was only a thin, helpless crescent, providing little to no light at all. Luckily, they knew this weaving park trail by heart, and had no trouble following the black pavement that windingly toured them through the trees.

Over the sound of leaves dancing against one another and crickets purring nearby, the two mumbled to themselves, careful to not disturb the natural silence of the night. With autumn blowing in, the days were getting colder, and the midnight hours even more so. Thus, they were lightly bundled up in their warmer clothes, with the hoods pulled over their heads and their jeans covering their ankles. Tyler wore a large, comfy brown sweatshirt that was two sizes too big for his body, and his broken in blue jeans were ripped at the knees from over usage. Grace, on the other hand, had a black leather jacket clinging to her skin, zipped up just to her chest, where she allowed the grey colored tank top to show through, which was complimented by matching colored jeans.

"So, that dance tomorrow…" Tyler cleared his throat, getting Grace to flick her storm colored eyes in his direction. "We're not going, right?"

"Right. I was hoping we could go get some frozen yogurt, instead."

"Oh, yeah, sure!" He grinned, using a hand to scratch at the back of his hand, ruffling his shaggy brown hair. "I'll pay."

"Good, because I'm out of money. I spent it all on albums two days ago."

"Why don't you just get a job? Then you wouldn't have a money problem."

She gave a little shrug, upper lip curling slightly in silent distaste. "It'd be boring to have to go to work all the time."

"That's why it's a job. It's not supposed to be fun. If it was a good time, you wouldn't hear people complaining about it."

"But don't you hate it; just doing the same thing, over and over again?" She asked, using a hand to tuck a couple strands of platinum blonde hair behind her ear that had been blown away from the rest by a gust of wind.

"Sure. But how else am I supposed to afford a girlfriend?" His tone lifted into a more lighthearted tease as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer against him. It was harder to walk together, yes, but the little show of affection was enough to convince them to not pull away from one another.

"True. I can be pretty expensive." She said with a laugh in her voice.

"Hey, the cost of pizza twice a week starts to add up after a while."

"I could ask you to take me shopping, you know. And when it's someone else's money, I don't hold back."

"How much do sweatpants even cost?"

"Enough to make me wear the same pairs every week."

"I've noticed." He cracked a grin, hugging her tightly for a moment before releasing the pressure. "Though, I must say, you look better than usual today."

"All thanks to my sister." She chuckled, looking up at him while she matched his smile with her own. Grace was already aware that, on a regular basis, she dressed like a slob. Sweatpants and tank tops made up the majority of her closet. Her main argument against the good looking clothes was that she liked to be comfortable, rather than stylish. "Alissa felt the need to get me all dressed up for some reason."

"What do you think she wants?"

"My best bet is that she's trying to show Mom she can handle a car."

"By taking care of you? Aren't you two years older than her?"

"Yep."

"But _you_ don't even have a car yet."

"I know. It's because I don't go anywhere. You just drive me everywhere." She patted him on the shoulder in an appreciative manner. "Thanks, by the way."

"Yeah, sure…" He muttered, shrugging a little bit and staying quiet for a second. "Anyway, what time should I come and get you tomorrow?"

"How about seven?"

"Sounds go-" He started, but stopped abruptly when there was a sudden snapping noise not too far from where they came to a stop. They were both quiet for a moment, scanning the surrounding foliage for any signs of the source.

"What was that?" Grace whispered, her eyes darting around from bush to bush. But with the fairly constant breeze, it was hard to track anything moving, when _everything_ was moving.

"…Probably just a squirrel, or something…" Tyler mumbled back after some hesitation, giving his lips a light lick with his tongue during a pause. "Let's just keep moving." With his arm still wrapped around her shoulders, he ushered Grace with him.

"You sure?" She turned her head to her shoulder to try and keep an eye on the general area they'd heard the sound come from, but made no effort to work against Tyler.

"Of course I am. What else could it be?"

To that question, she shrugged, not really sure. "Who knows? Maybe it's a… _vampire…!_" She giggled.

"You think so?" He raised his eyebrows with a grin, looking down at her as he joined her in her quiet laughter.

"The girl's got instinct."

The two froze on the spot, but Grace was the first the whirl around, greeted by a man who stood inches away from them, a wicked grin curling his thin, pale lips. She stumbled backwards a few steps, putting necessary distance between them.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking to Tyler, who was just now spinning around in a much calmer fashion than what she had gone through.

"My name… is Vincent." He bobbed his head in introduction. The male was incredibly tall, and quite lanky; perhaps he was around six-foot-four, maybe more. He had incredibly straight, jet black hair, and golden brown colored eyes. His pupils were greatly dilated, and his colorless skin looked smooth to touch.

"Can I help you?" Tyler butted in, a little rudely.

"Well, if you'd like, I'll have a couple pints of your blood." He replied, leaning forwards and taking a quick whiff of Tyler's neck. "B-positive, hmm? It's been a while since I've had that."

"What the fuck, man?!" Tyler stepped back, eyes dashing all over the newcomer. "Are you trying to be a creep, or something?"

"No, I'm simply trying to survive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a bit hungry…" As Vincent spoke, his sly grin grew into a toothy smile. But... all Grace could see were what looked to be a bunch of curved fangs that protruded from his gums, dropping over his normal teeth.

It was then that she screamed, and when Tyler shouted "Go!" in her ear, she scrambled away, frantic to keep up with him. Behind them, they heard an unnatural sounding snarl – similar to that of a rabid Tasmanian devil – which only quickened their steps. But they didn't get very far before Tyler was suddenly on the ground with a pained, nearly breathless cry. Grace skidded to a stop, turning on a dime and crying out his name, only able to watch as blood spewed about, with Vincent on stop of him, seeming to be chomping down on his neck. Tyler shouted and struggled, kicking with all of his strength and courage, but his movements were sloppy, and the other man was too heavy, and determined.

"Get off of him!" Grace begged, hot tears of fright stinging her eyes. She wanted to run for her life, but felt frozen on the spot. And she couldn't just leave Tyler to be killed right there; what kind of girlfriend would she be?

Desperate to help, Grace threw herself forwards, dropping all of her weight onto Vincent, who was knocked to the side by her gathered momentum. Except with this movement came a sickening noise of flesh being torn, which made her stomach lurch about as she rolled off quickly, avoiding the hand that passed right above her to try and scratch her face apart. Gasping, she pushed herself up onto all fours, looking straight forwards at Vincent. His eyes were heavily bloodshot, and his mouth and chin were drenched in blood. He was panting, but licking his lips almost constantly. And from his teeth hung… flesh. Skin. Perhaps part of the throat of Tyler Elliot.

"I was busy, you idiot…" He growled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Now I can't feed off of you anymore. What a waste of a good meal." Sounding genuinely upset, Vincent stood to his feet, glaring down at Grace with a cruel gaze. "Good thing you're here." He sniffed once more, making a noise in his throat after he did so. "Well, I guess this won't be so bad. It's been a while since I've been treated with AB-negative." His voice purred, and he stepped forwards, only for Grace to compensate by stepping backwards a space of equal distance.

"You creep!" She snapped before turning and sprinting away. Seconds later, however, her wrist was caught and held high above her head, forcing her onto the tips of her toes so she wouldn't dislocate it. "Let me go!"

"I will soon, little one. I only want to finish my meal." He drew closer, placing his mouth right on her neck, even kissing it lightly. "Now just stay still. I won't kill you unless you make me."

She felt his lips part, and those awful looking fangs touched her skin. Just as he inhaled deeply, there was a new voice that suddenly bounced into play.

"That's enough."

Before Vincent nor Grace could register what was happen, there was a sickening noise, and when Grace opened her eyes that she hadn't realized were shut, she saw that the head of Vincent was gone. Moments later, the body dropped, and she felt the amount of blood that clung to her face.

Jaw slack, eyes wide, and breath shaky, she used the tips of her fingers to rub her cheek, then using the light to see the blood. She had known it was there, but she still felt the need to see it. And, yes, it was definitely blood. Unfortunately.

"You alright?"

She flinched, lifting her gaze to the person before her. He looked to be fairly normal. Probably about eighteen, maybe nineteen. He was quite tall, possibly up there around six-foot, maybe six-foot-one. He was somewhat muscular, but nothing too attention grabbing. The boy had a pair of deep set, silvery blue eyes, and disheveled dark brown hair, catching in front of his eyes, and just about everywhere else, too. Honestly, he looked like he woke up and didn't even bother to take a glance in the mirror.

She swallowed hard, wanting to taste of blood out of her mouth. How it had gotten there? She didn't know. "Y-yeah." She stuttered, rapidly blinking her eyes and looking to the ground, running a hand through her sticky hair. "What… What just happened?"

"You were attacked."

"No shit, dipstick." She snarled, giving the boy before her a look.

"If you knew the answer, then why did you ask?" He questioned calmly, raising a curious eyebrow.

Grace opened her mouth to give some kind of answer, but didn't know what to say. Instead she just shut her lips, shook her head, and grumbled as she turned and paced away a few steps, needing some space. Her throat was tight, and her eyes burned. She knew she was about to cry, and the more she fought it, the harder it was to hold them back. She blinked hard a few more times and took a deep breath, trying – and failing – to calm herself down.

"You sure you're alright?" He asked once more, in a quieter voice, stepping forwards until the point where he could rest a hand on her shoulder. A hand covered in blood that was resting on a shoulder covered in the same blood. How gross.

She looked at him, glaring right into his eyes. "I just had my boyfriend get killed, and the killer's head lopped off after that. Does that sound like something I was hoping to have happen?"

"Well, if it helps at all, you made his death a lot shorter than it would've been if you would've left him."

"No, that doesn't help. Not at all."

"Oh…" He fell silent for a moment, licking his lips awkwardly with the tip of his tongue. "Well, the name's Arrow."

"Does it look like I care?" She asked with a roll of her eyes. "Arrow? That's not exactly normal."

"I just saved your life, and this is how I'm repaid?"

"What do you expect me to do? Kiss you?"

The boy was silent for a moment, a raised eyebrows and a light frown demonstrating his thought process. "I wouldn't mind…"

"Get out." She deadpanned, turning her back to him and folding her arms across her chest, sniffling lightly.

"Oh, come on, I'm just kidding." He jogged to the front of her, grinning lightly. "Listen, let's just call 9-1-1, get you home, and I'll be on my way." He flashed his palms innocently. "Sound good?"

"I can walk home by myself, thank you." She muttered and started to shove her way past him, but he caught her by the shoulders, stalling her.

"And his body? You'll be the one answering the questions, you know. Since you were the last one with him, and all."

Biting her lip, she looked behind her reluctantly, seeing Tyler's lifeless body sprawled out on the ground, an ugly puddle of blood surrounding his upper body. "I'd rather not talk to anyone about it…"

He pressed his lips together, keeping his grip on her, as if to make sure she didn't sprint off. "Well, I can get you a hotel room, and you can stay there for a few nights until the major panic dies down. Then you can just go back to normal living."

"Excuse me? There is no way I'm just going to have a _stranger_ buy me a hotel room and call it good. No way. Absolutely not."

"I'm not a stranger. I already told you my name."

"Oh, yes, of course. Because that makes a world of difference."

He sighed, sounding a little annoyed. "I'm just trying to help you out. So either you can avoid the stress and such and accept my offer, or dive head first into it."

"I'll take the latter." She grumbled, slapping his hands off of her, and walking back towards Tyler's body, pulling out her phone to dial.

"You really don't like me." He mused quietly, stepping after her at a slow, casual pace, with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"You just _beheaded _someone, and you're acting like it's no big deal!" She glanced back at him for a brief moment, wearing almost a worried expression.

"That's because it was just a simple vampire. No one's going to miss him."

Already having pressed the 'call' button, there was a voice that picked up, asking her "what her emergency was". And the phone was pressed up against her ear, too, but she wasn't answering it. Instead, she slowly turned around completely, eyeballing Arrow with eyes as round as the full moon. "What did you say?"

"I said no one's going to miss him."

"No, before that."

"He's just a simple vampire."

She flinched, scoffing lightly. "You… You're joking, right?"

"Why would I be? If I didn't have to chop off his head to kill him, I wouldn't have."

A hysterical, airy laugh echoed from her chest. "You're insane."

"You don't believe me."

"Of course I don't!" She exclaimed, ignoring the insistent voice from the phone, which she lowered to her side from arm movements. "Vampires don't exist."

"Are you really that dense? You just saw it with your own eyes, and you still refuse to believe it?"

"No, dude, that was just some freaky guy with a weird fetish. I'll say it again. _Vampires. Don't. Exist._"

He groaned a rubbed at the bridge of his nose, clearly annoyed. "Fine. Fine! Whatever. Just remember _I _saved your life." He huffed and grimaced, and then walked away from her. And she didn't make any effort to go after him.

_He's crazy. _She thought. _Vampires don't exist. They're just for fun and novels. And, besides, lore says you kill a vampire by staking it through the heart. Either he doesn't know his stuff, or he made that up on the spot, just to kill for the heck of it._

In the distance, Grace could hear sirens wailing. When she looked back at her phone, the call was still alive, but she ended it anyway, deciding that trying to explain all of that over the phone was useless.

Shoving the phone into her back pocket, she looked over to Tyler's bloody body. A light sigh escaped her lips, and she turned her head away, chewing hard on the inside of her lips as the tears surfaced.

* * *

_Well, that's the first chapter in Hell Born! I hope you enjoyed it, and I apologize if you didn't._

_Any comments and critique you have for this chapter are both greatly appreciated, as I am always looking to improve as a writer. I do hope that you'll stay long enough for the plot to develop, and that you'll be interested in reading and waiting for the next chapter._

_~ BurntPickle_


	2. Chapter 2 - Trust me, I'm Here to Help

_Welcome back, if you're still with me! If not, then that message was pointless. Anyway, as I've already had Chapter Two written up for some time, I decided to put it up now and get this thing up off the ground._

_Disclaimer; I do not own the show Supernatural. But I own any OC's included in this story, and they are for my use only._

_Hope you enjoy ^^_

* * *

Grace sat in her room, alone. The lights were off, curtains closed over, and the blankets pulled up to her neck. With her knees curled up against her chest and her headphones plugged in, she simply stayed in the dark, entertained by the mindless song, which played over and over again. By now she'd stopped paying attention to it, and, instead, was drowning in thought.

Images kept playing through her mind from the night before. She hadn't even been able to sleep, for too many reasons to count. Bags were dropped under her eyes, and a constant fatigue was veiled over her mind. She hadn't even changed out of her clothes yet. Her eyelids were heavy, but every time they slid shut, she'd grow restless. When her eyes were shut, there wasn't anything to distract her mind. It had free reign over what things popped into her conscience. Things like those gnarled fangs of Vincent, or the gallons of blood that had spilt from Tyler.

From behind her, the door opened slowly, letting a thin sliver of light into the room. As the light spread, it caught Grace's attention, causing her to blink her eyes into focus.

Barely able to hear her mother's voice over the sound of her music, the seventeen-year-old plucked the ear buds out and dropped them in front of her face on the mattress. With a slow, deep breath, she swallowed hard and sat herself up.

"Honey, were you up all night?" Rachel Walker asked, letting herself into the room. The woman was blonde, just like Grace, but her hair was chopped short at the chin. She wasn't much shorter than Grace was, and considering the girl only came in at five-foot-four, it wasn't too hard of a goal to surpass. But her mother was plump, too, from age and lack of daily exercise. Today, she was still dressed in her lavender colored nightgown, which barely swept under her knees. Her feet were bare, and her toenails were painted red. The reason for this, she had no idea.

To the question, Grace looked to the clock that sat on the nightstand beside her bed. _6:43._ This actually surprised her, considering it felt like she'd only been lying down for a few hours, and that was after a small dinner did she do so. To check to make sure it wasn't off, she looked to the window. Sure enough, through the black curtains that kept out any light, there was just a little wiggling glow underneath on the carpet.

"I guess so," She eventually replied, one corner of her lip lifting briefly to try out a reassuring smile, which didn't get close to anything that was convincing. "I must've lost track of time."

With a gentle sigh, her mom crossed the room and dropped beside Grace on the bed, rubbing the back of her daughter's neck in an attempt to comfort her. "It's okay, baby." She whispered, pulling her daughter close for a hug. "But there are some people here who are looking to investigate what happened. They'd like to talk to you."

"Tell them I'm not in the mood," Grace mumbled, her eyes cast to the floor.

"Gracie… It's important. Tyler's parents need the truth."

_But you don't even know the truth._ She wanted to stay, looking up into her mom's pale blue eyes. She's told her mom that they were attacked. Which was true, but she also said that he'd simply had his throat slit by a knife. She hadn't even bothered to mention Arrow, or how she'd survived and escaped. Luckily, they'd seen how shaken up she'd been when she stumbled in the door, escorted by the police, and no one had pressed any questions. Though the beheaded body was really hard to explain. She'd just said that she didn't remember it. Apparently, they'd bought it.

"If they really want it, they can wait."

"They deserve to know exactly what happened. And your point of view could help a lot."

Feeling stressed, she dropped her head into her hands, covering her eyes and forehead with palms. "Mom, I'm not ready to talk about it."

"Miss Walker, it's important."

Grace felt her spine stiffen, and her breath hitch. Her blood itself seemed to still in her veins. Slowly, she parted her fingers and peeked through them, looking up at the two men that stood in her doorway. The man on the left she didn't recognize at all, and he hadn't been the one to speak. It was the one on the right that she _did_ recognize.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She grumbled, dropping her hands into her lap lazily and glaring at the strange boy from that night. "How did you figure out where I live? Did you follow me?"

"Grace, what are you talking about?" Her mother interrupted, but was ignored. "Do you know him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Arrow replied, glancing to his partner. He was definitely cleaned up this time, with a fairly nice looking black colored suit covering his skin. His hair looked to be brushed, but definitely still in need of a cut. And styled. In other words, it was still a mess. Just... not as much of a mess.

"But, you're the guy!"

"Excuse me?" Arrow lifted an eyebrow. "What guy?"

"The… the _guy!_" She made wild arm motions, trying to gesture to the motion made when he'd cut the head off of Vincent. "You know, slice-and-dice Vamps dude!"

Once again, he shared a look with his partner. "Do you mind describing this 'guy'?"

Grace's eyebrows furrowed in deep confusion. "He was you, you idiot."

"I don't recall having a twin. Are you sure you aren't getting me confused with someone else?" He asked, though it was then that she noticed the quick hardness of his eyes, and the little tilt of his head. From inside of the suit jacket he pulled a notebook and a pencil that was slipped through the rings, which he removed and positioned to write. After licking his lips quickly, he said, "now, did he give you a name?"

"Ah…" Grace looked to her mother for moral support, but none was provided. The woman looked startled and confused, giving no help. "No, sir, he didn't," She lied, looking back to the two.

"Mmh…" He scribbled down a note before continuing. "And what exactly did he do?"

"Well, he… he…" She licked her lips nervously, trying to come up with a lie on the spot. "Hey, Mom… could you get me something to drink?"

"Oh, yes, sweetie," The woman answered immediately, getting to her feet and scooting past the two, but paused right as she was about to be out of sight. "Would you two like anything?"

The one of the left politely answered "no", but Arrow easily asked for a glass of water. And then, once she was gone, he looked to his partner. "Go question her. See if she knows anything."

With a nod, the other agent left, not even asking any questions.

Then Arrowed heaved a sigh, and slid inside of the room, and shut the door behind him. "You nearly blew it." He muttered, tugging on the grey colored tie that was choked around his neck until it was loose enough to be comfortable. And he didn't even hesitate to unbutton the jacket and untuck the undershirt, making it pretty obvious he didn't like wearing that thing.

"A little warning in advance would've been nice." She gave her eyes a roll, her voice a bit grouchy. "What do you want?"

"How much have you told them?"

"I said that we were attacked, Tyler's throat was slit, and somehow I escaped."

"That has to be the worst explanation I've ever heard. Can you not lie at all?" He scoffed lightly, moving himself to drop onto the bed beside her, using his hands to brace on either side to keep balance.

"They seemed to buy it."

"Doubt it. They'll be back within days to try and pry more out of you."

"And I'll just tell them I don't remember much. That's what I said to the question about that dude you beheaded."

"Vampire. He was a vampire."

"Whatever you say…" She said sarcastically, shaking her head slowly.

"But you didn't mention me?"

"No."

"Thanks. The police and I don't exactly get along."

"And yet you're working with them?"

"Nope. I'm just pretending to be." As if trying to show proof, he took out his badge and showed it to her. "I'm good, aren't I?"

"Impersonating an officer, huh?" She took the badge from his hand and studied it. "Why in the world do you have this?"

"In case I have a situation like this that I need to be an authority to ask questions."

"Speaking of, what _are _you doing here?" Grace asked, pushing the 'badge' back into Arrow's hand.

"I need to talk to you." He stood to his feet and went to the window, pulling back the curtain and peering out through the glass. "Turns out the Vamps aren't happy about one of their kin being killed. And since you – a defenseless, normal, teenage girl – are a witness, they're either planning to kill you or turn you. Whichever is easier."

"You really are messed up in the head, aren't you?"

"No, I'm being serious. Listen to me; things like Vampires exist," He told her, turning and dropped the curtain, looking at her dead in the eye. "Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Demons… you name it. They aren't just fictional. I'm sorry to break it to you, babe, but they're real. Very real. And if you don't start accepting it, they're going to tear you apart."

Grace was quiet, trying to rationalize what he said. She was stubborn. She wouldn't believe it. Maybe she just didn't _want_ to believe it, or perhaps she really just thought he was insane. But, either way, there was no way she was willing to just nod her head and accept what he had told her.

After a moment of thought, she frowned. "Don't call me 'babe'."

He groaned, dropping his head for a moment before lifting it once more. "That's all you're worried about?"

"Yes, because we're not friends. And 'babe' is kind of an affectionate nickname."

"Fine, whatever, my bad," He gave his eyes a roll and pressed his lips into a line. "But you need to understand. The Vamps know that you know they exist, and they're going to assume that you'll spread the word immediately."

"But I'm not."

"Okay, how about you just go up there and tell them that. See how well that works out for you."

"Assuming that there actually are more of them."

Grace could see his throat muscles work as he seemed to be holding in a temper, and his jaw was set hard. His stance was stiff, and, to her, he seemed like some kind of bomb, waiting to go off.

After a long moment of silence between the two, he strode back to her bed, and sat himself down beside her, closing his eyes for a breath. "Look, I know this isn't easy to accept," he started, "but you have to believe me when I say that this is real. That Vincent dude was no fake. He didn't just buy a cheesy pair of fake teeth from the dollar store to look like an idiot while he attacked you. He was a legit, real Vampire, who wants to drain the blood from your body, and leave you to shrivel up and die.

"They have a nest somewhere in this town. It can't be far from that park, unless they were really desperate for blood, but I doubt that. I'd say there's at least a dozen of them there, maybe more. And they don't like people knowing about their existence."

"But what do they think am I going to do? Go around telling people Vampires exist, because I supposedly saw one up close?"

"Yes, actually."

"But nobody will believe me. _I'm_ having trouble believing you, and I was right there when it happened. People aren't going to do anything."

"Maybe not regular people, like you, but word spreads quickly. Once rumors get put up on the Internet, or maybe even the news if it gets there, then people like me will hear about it."

"People like you? What does that mean?"

"I'll explain it better to you later – maybe – but I'm... a hunter, per say. I kill things. Supernatural things. Things that you think don't exist, so when you say they're a myth, you don't have to be proved wrong. Most of the time, that is. Accidents still happen."

Grace chewed her lip, her eyes casting their way to the floor. She stayed quiet, and this time, wasn't giving out a smart response to his explanations. Mostly because she didn't have one. "Okay, let's say that I believe what you're telling me. Then what?"

"Then you help me figure out where the nest is with your knowledge of the city, and I take care of it. And then I up and leave, and we never meet again."

Her lips curved up in a little, halfhearted smirk, and her eyes lifted to meet his, too. "Well then, let's get rid of you."

"So you believe me?" He raised a brow.

"No. But I'll pretend to, so you can feel satisfied and move on with your life."

"I guess I can accept that," Arrow chuckled, grinning.

* * *

"Was it really necessary to sneak out the window?" Grace asked as she slowly eased herself off the edge of the porch roof, falling onto a little ways until her sneakers slapped the dirt. "We'll give my mom a panic attack."

Arrow shrugged indifferently. "Do you have any better ideas? Because I'd rather not explain to my partner and your parents why I'm taking you. And I highly doubt they'll believe that I'm just getting you some coffee."

"I wouldn't mind some coffee…"

All she heard from him was a simple, airy scoff, but no words or responses followed. Instead, he just started down the driveway carelessly, dropping his hands into his pockets. From where she stood, she could even hear him humming a little tune to himself, his steps in beat with whatever rhythm he was developing.

"Where are you planning on going?" Grace called, watching as he made his way to the black, undercover car that was parked by the house.

"_We_ are going to the park."

"_The_ park?" She repeated weakly, her skin losing color almost immediately.

"Yep. That's the one," he unlocked the car with the keys that had come from his pocket. "Get in. First we're going to get _my_ car, but then we head off to the park."

She swallowed tightly, chewing her bottom lip. "I'd rather not."

He was in the process of opening his door, about to swing himself inside, when he stopped and lifted his gaze to her. He blinked a few times, and she turned her head away in silent shame, trying to avoid looking at him.

Arrow took a brief moment to look around, as if scouting the area, and then moved around the car. In a few easy paces, he was inches in front of her, looking down. "What's wrong?" He asked, giving her shoulder a light shaking.

Grace grimaced, sighing slowly through her nose. "It's just…" She started, but stopped abruptly, holding her breath for a pause. "I… I'm not too keen on visiting that place right now. It's not really on my to-do list at the moment." She admitted, her words accompanied with a light shrug. Her eyes flicked up at him for a moment before finding something else to look at. Such as her shoes. Or the neighbor's cat that was perched on the windowsill. Or even some fly that was busying itself with a discarded beer can leftover from one of her dad's little drinking parties with his friends. "He was just murdered last night, and the memory is still fresh…"

"Oh… Well, uh…" Arrow trailed off, his eyes also now wandering. He rocked back on his heels, his expression suggesting some sort of thought process. "I guess we can just go get that coffee, then…"

She raised her brows and looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"I still need to figure out where that Vamp nest could be. And since you don't feel up to visiting the crime scene, maybe we can just try to figure it out there, at the coffee shop. And, since you mentioned you wanted some coffee, then why not?"

"Well... I guess that sounds alright. As long as you pay."

He grinned. "If you so insist."

* * *

_Trust me, the plot is coming. Eventually. Give it some time, and stick with me! ^^ I know it's pretty boring, this is more of just a development stage. But I'm working on it, and I really hope you'll love it when it gets here._

_If you wouldn't mind, I'd love comments and critique on my work. ^^ I'm looking to improve, so anything from simple pointers to more in depth fixes would be appreciated. And, of course, just hearing your thoughts and opinions on what's happening right now is very encouraging! It helps me know you enjoyed it enough to think about it._

_Thanks for reading :)_

_~BurntPickle_


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